Pressing machine



Aug. 3, 1965 Filed Dec. 2, 1959 V. W. TUCKER ETAL PRESSING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS VINCENT W. TUCKER WALLACE F. GAYRING ROBERT G.KAELBER ALBERT KAGI United States Patent Oflice 3,197,897 Patented Aug.3, 1965 by mesne assignments, to Ametek, Inc., New York,

N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 856,682 3Claims. (CI. 38-41) This invention relates to pressing machines of thetype conventionally employed for the pressing of laundered and drycleaned articles.

One of the problems existing in pressing machinery is that the powertransmitting linkage between the power means and the relatively movablepressing heads involves the use of relatively long levers and the liketo permit the pressing head to be opened to a position substantiallyaway from the pressing buck. Further, the use of levers of thissort,which require a long travel to close the head against the buck,necessitates the use of a power means having a long stroke, such as forexample a fluid pressure cylinder of some length. The above arrangementhas been adhered to chiefly because a small number of components cantransmit a large amount ofpower during the pressing operation. However,the above system is inflexible to a certain extent in that the amount ofpower applied through the levers is proportional to the ad justed lengthof the levers. Therefore, if the leverage is adjusted to apply a certainamount of pressingipressure to an article of medium thickness, anarticle of greater thickness will receive more pressing pressure, and athinner article will receive little pressing pressure. This is due tothe substantially rigid nature of a system .of set levers. By connectinga long stroke cylinder near one end of a long lever, a large amount ofpressing pressure can be applied at the press ng head, and this pressurecan be varied only by the adjustment of suitable stops or the like. Afurther disadvantage of this type of system lies in the wearing ofparts. The large forces exerted within the cylinder and on bearingsurfaces cause greater wearing due to the long travel of the levers.Further, most of the loading is directly on the frame-of the machinethrough the pivotal mounting of the levers and the power cylinder.

It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide operatingmeans for a pressing machine wherein a minimum number of parts arecombined to move the pressing head against the pressing buck withuniform pressure regardless of the thickness of an article. beingpressed.

Another object of this invention is to provide operating means for apressing machine wherein a rearrangement of components achieves a moreefiicient operation with less wearing of the material of the components.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pressing machineoperating means which operates the machine while at the same time avoidsexcessive motion causing less wearing of the parts thereof. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide operating means for apressing machine wherein the forces applied from the power means to themovable pressing member.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a pressing machine, with portions cut awayto illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cut-away view of one embodiment of the invention on anenlarged scale, taken partly as a sectional view.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cut-away view of a portion of the machine,showing an embodiment of the operators controls for initiating operationof the machine.

FIGURE 4 is a cut-away top view of the embodiment f the invention shownin FIGURE 2.

Construction In FIGURE '1 there is shown a pressing machine having aframe 10 on which is mounted a table 9. Mounted on the, table 9 is alower pressing member 11, which, in this case, is fixed. Pivotallymounted to the frame '10 as at a pivot 14 is a yoke 13. To one end ofthe yoke 13' is mounted a second or upper pressing member 12 which, inthis embodiment,'is movable with respect to the lower pressing member11.

In FIGURE 1 the solid line showing of the parts of the pressing machineillustrates the yoke 13 and the upper pressing head 12 in the closedposition. That is to say, the pressing head 12 is in the positionoccupied when a pressing operation is being performed upon .an articlesupported by the lower pressing head 11. The dot-dash lines illustratethe disposition of the parts of the machine when the press is in theopen position, or when no pressing operation is being performed.

A spring 20 is connected at one end to the yoke 13 and .at the other endto the frame 10 for urging the yoke 13 and pressing head 12 towards theopen position when the head 12 is not otherwise disposed. j

A first power means in the form of a cylinder 16 is pivotally mounted tothe frame, and the piston rod 15- thereof is connected to the end of theyoke 13 by fastening means 34. Also connected to the end of the yoke 13is a toggle 27, which is pivotally connected as at 'pivot 33. Suitablymounted to the frame as by a bracket 21 or the like is a second powermeans or high power means in the through said means are'applied moredirectly through the form of a cylinder 18 for moving the pressing head12 against the lower pressing member with vfull pressing pressure. Thisis accomplished by means of a lever which is pivotally mounted as at 25to the frame 10; One end of the lever 23 is pivotally attached to thepiston rod 17 of cylinder 18 as at a joint 22, and the other end of thelever 23 is pivotally attached to one end of the toggle 27 as at a joint26. .A spring 24 connected between-thelever 23 and the frame 10 urgesthe lever in a direction to re-. turn the piston rod 17 of the cylinderto a position retracted within the cylinder, which would be when theyoke 13 is in the open position shown by the dash-dot lines.

The toggle 27 is illustrated on an enlarged scale in FIG- URE 2. FromFIGURES 1 and 2 it will becomeobvious" that the toggle 27 represents. adisjointed lever assembly including a toggle arm 31, a toggle armextension 32, and a toggle latch support 36 which together form the mainbody of the toggle 27. The toggle arm 31, toggle arm extension 32, andthe .toggle latch support 36 are pivotally attached to eachother bymeans of a pivot shaft 30, so that when the arm 31 andtog'gle latchsupport 36 are aligned along a single plane, they form a unit acting asa direct power transmitting link between the upper end of the lever 23and the lower end of the yoke 13. One end of the toggle arm 31, namelyvthe toggle arm extension 32, extends beyond the pivot shaft 30. into thetoggle latch support 36. Pivotally mounted on the toggle latchsupport-36, as by a pin 41, is a latch assembly 37. The latch assembly37 includes a pivotal latch 29, first latch extension-39 and secondlatch extension 38A. The first latch extension 39 of the latch assembly37 is engaged by the plunger 28A of the dashpot 28 for releasing thelatch 29 from engagement with the toggle arm extension 32 when air underpressure enters the dashpot through the line 42. When-the plunger 28Amoves thefirst'latch extension 39, the pivotal latch 29 moves outof;engagement with. the toggle arm extension 32 and the secondlatchextension 38A seats in a recess 38 of the toggle. arm extension 32to movethe toggle arm extension 32 downwardly andthus move the entiretoggle 27 to a position such as is shown by'the' dot-dash lines ofFIGURE 1. A spring 40. is connected to the first latch'extension 39, forinstance, for urging the latch 29 so as to be in position forengagingthe ex tension 32 ofthe toggle arm 31.

The operator control 35 is shownin greater detail in FIGURE 3. Herein itwill be seen that the leading edge of the table 9 may be formed in achannel shape in which is mounted a pivot block 52. Switch buttons 50and 51 are pivotally connected to the pivot .block 52 by means of pivotpin 53, and are constantly urged outwardly by any suitable means such asa spring 54. Micro switches 55 and 56 are suitably attached to the table9 and are operated respectively by the switch buttons 50 and 51. In thisillustration only two switch and switch button arrangements are shown.However, three arrangements may be employed according. to conventionalpractice. In that event, switch'56 and switch button 51 would beconnected in series to another similar arrangement, not shown, toconstitute a conventional two-hand control for initiating the, operationof the pressing machine. The switch 55 and switch button 50 areconnected to means for releasing the pressing. machine from itsoperations at any time following initiation of said operations. g I Itwill be noted in FIGURE 4 that toggle arm extension 32 is partially cutback to indicate and illustrate the position of the extension in togglelatch-support 36. The latch 29 is eliminated in this view, so as toallow a clearer view of the toggle and its parts. a

i 1 Operation The operation of; the pressing machine may be as tollowsrQperationof the'switch button 51 to operate the switch 56 permitscurrent to flow to'a solenoid valve, not shown, which in turn'causes airunder pressure to flow to the zero pressure cylinder 16. The piston rod15 is then extended to the. position shown in FIGURE 1, moving the yoke13 and pressing head'12 to a zero pressure position. A zero pressureposition is that position of the pressing head where the urging of thehead transfer cylinder, in this case cylinder 16, towards the lowerpressing member 11 isequal to the urging of the return spring 20 of thepressing h'ead 12 tothe open position. The zero pressure 'position ofthe pressing head 12 is most advantageously 'at a point just above thelower pressing head 11, and may be determined bythe use of a needlevalve (not shown) inserted'in the air supply line for'the cylinder 16,wherein more or less pressure passed by the needle valve lowers thepressing head 12 respectively more or less with respect'to the lowerpressing head 11. I As the yoke 13 moves from the dot-dash line positionto the solid line position, the toggle arm 31 and the toggle latchsupport '36 of the toggle 27 move from their open dot-dash line positionto a. position in alignment with each other as shown by the ,solid linesand also in FIG URE 2, with this action occurring through thepi'votingof toggle 27 about joint 26 i'n .a clockwise direction and the pivotingof toggle arm 31 about shaft in a counterclockwise direction.

At this time, another valve means, not shown, may be actuated inresponse to movement ,of the toggle 27 or the yoke 13 to permit airunder pressure to enter the cylinder 18v through the line 19. Thiscauses the piston rod 17 of cylinder 18 to be extended, moving the lever23 about its pivot 25 to exert force directly through the toggle 27 tothe end of the yoke 13 and thus cause the head 12 to move against thepressing head 11 with full pressing pressure.

The release of the pressing head 12 to the Zero pressure position andthence to the open position may be achieved by operating the releaseswitch button 50 and micro switch 55 to admit air to the dashpot 28 andfor exhausting air from the high pressure cylinder 18 and the zeropressure cylinder 16 respectively. However, automatic means such as atimer may also be employed for releasing the pressing head 12 from fullpressure position to the zero pressure position.

It will become obvious from the foregoing that operation of the zeropressure cylinder is sufiicient-to move the pressing head and the yokeinto azero pressure position adjacent the lower pressing head. Thisaction also moves the toggle arm and toggle latch support of the toggle27 into alignment, or into operating disposition. At this time, only ashort movement of the yoke is required to move the pressing head againstthe lower pressing headwith' full pressing pressure. Thus, the highpower cylinder need only move the lever 23 shortly about its pivot .toexert force directly through the toggle to the yoke 13. Because of thisnewarrangement of the parts of the pressing machine, the lever 23 may beformed so that the lower end connected to the cylinder is much longerthan theopposite end connected throughthe toggle to theyoke.- ,Thus agreat mechanical advantage is realized within the pressing machine.Since some power loss is realized through the exertion .of force throughthe mounting means for the high power cylinder and the lever, this powerloss may be overcome due. to the new short-stroke operating means. Dueto the disposition of the lever 23, the force exerted at joint 26 ismuch greater than at 22, and more usable forcesistransmitted through thetoggle to the yoke;

An embodiment of the invention having been shown and described for thepurpose of illustration, it is to be understood that the invention maybe modified .from time to time, and that the appended claims are to beconstrued in the true spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A pressing machine including a frame and a relatively movablepressing head, first power means for moving said pressing head to a zeropressure position, second power means for moving said pressing headagainst a pressing member with full pressure, and means operativelyconnecting said second power means with said pressing head, saidconnecting means comprising, in part, togg e means, a lever, and a rod,said toggle means including a toggle arm and a toggle latch support,said arm and said support movable into alignment with each other inresponse to movement of said pressing head into a zero pressure positionfor forming a power transmitting means between said second power meansand said pressing head, and a latch means mounted on said toggle latchsupport for engaging said toggle armwhen said support and said arm arein alignment 2. A pressing machine including a' frame, a pressing membermounted on saidfrarne, a movable pressing head, high pressure means formoving said movable pressing head against said member with full pressingpressure, and meansforming an operative'power connection'between saidpressure means and said pressing head, said connecting means including atoggle, andsecond power means for moving said pressing head to a zeropressure position and for aligning said toggle between said firstpressure means and said'pressing head. i

3. The combination according to claim 2, said toggle comprising, inpart, a toggle arm and a toggle latchsupport, a toggle latch beingmounted on said support,- said toggle latch maintaining said togglealigned.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Daly 38-40 Gregoire 38-41 Pendleton 1 38-41 Daly 38-41Jacker 38-41 Daly 38-41 1,987,389 1/35 Daly 38-41 2,075,299 3/ 37Pendleton 38-41 2,242,480 5/41 Raynolds 38-41 12,651,125 9/ 53 Cole et:al 38-41 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, DAVID 'J. WILLIAMOWSKY,

Examiners.

1. A PRESSING MACHINE INCLUDING A FRAME AND A RELATIVELY MOVABLEPRESSING HEAD, FIRST POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PRESSURE HEAD TO A ZEROPRESSURE POSITION, SECOND POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PRESSURE HEADAGAINST A PRESSURE MEMBER WITH FULL PRESSURE, AND MEANS OPERATIVELYCONNECTING SAID SECOND POWER MEANS WITH SAID PRESSING HEAD, SAIDCONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING, IN PART, TOGGLE MEANS, A LEVER, AND A ROD,SAID TOGGGLE MEANS INCLUDING A TOGGLE ARM AND A TOGGLE LATCH SUPPORT,SAID ARM AND SAID SUPPORT MOVABLE INTO ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER INRESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID PRESSING HEAD INTO A ZERO PRESSURE POSITIONFOR FORMING A POWER TRANSMITTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID SECOND POWER MEANSAND SAID PRESSURE HEAD, AND A LATCH MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID TOGGLE LATCHSUPPORT FOR ENGAGING SAID TOGGLE ARM WHEN SAID SUPPORT AND SAID ARM AREIN ALIGNMENT.